Rashida Tlaib's controversial progressive response to President Biden's State of the Union address did indeed call out members of her own party: "No one fought harder for President Biden's agenda than progressives," the Democratic congresswoman and member of the so-called "Squad" said, per Fox News. "We rallied together with our supporters, held town halls in our communities, engaged new people, and we even played hardball in Congress. But two forces stood in the way: a Republican party that serves only the rich and the powerful and just enough corporate backed Democratic obstructionists to help them succeed."
Yahoo News reports Tlaib, who spoke on behalf of the Working Families Party, was a "particularly divisive choice" to deliver the response, with some centrists saying she's a radical. She called on Biden to take action on criminal justice reform, affordable child care, paid leave, funding for elder care, free community college, affordable housing, lower prescription drug costs, access to abortion, student debt, clean energy, climate change, and more; both she and Biden, for example, spoke about the importance of a $15 minimum wage and the need to crack down on Wall Street. She also praised Biden's COVID-19 vaccination campaign and relief distributed amid the pandemic, NPR reports.
She also said progressives stand with Ukraine. "The United States and our allies must work together towards an immediate ceasefire and the diplomatic resolution to help save lives," she said. "We must pursue targeted sanctions that put pressure on Russia's billionaires, not the everyday Russians who have no choice in this conflict and are courageously protesting the war as we speak. We need a humanitarian response to this crisis. We must welcome Ukrainian refugees from all walks of life to the United States." Watch the address at PBS. (Or check out AP's fact check of Biden's speech here.)
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